


Finding Josie

by koalathebear



Category: Looking For Alibrandi - Melina Marchetta
Genre: F/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-27
Updated: 2015-09-27
Packaged: 2018-04-23 15:46:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4882669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalathebear/pseuds/koalathebear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The characters are based on Melina Marchetta's creations in "Looking for Alibrandi".  The movie ended on a much more positive note than the book my fic picks up from the end of the movie where you see Jacob Coote standing there looking so unsure on Tomato Day ..... but it also fits in with the end of the book as well..... I loved this book but it ended so sadly and I really wanted to know that Jacob and Josie were going to be ok.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding Josie

Before I knew it, Jacob had moved from dancing with Nonna and was dancing with me to the geeky Italian music. He didn't touch me, just stared down at me with his wry smile and his beautiful green eyes.

"Did you get my card?" he asked me, his eyes not moving from my face. I nodded, wanting to reach out and touch his face but I didn't. I could see mama and Michael staring at him warily as if he was going to make me burst into tears and fall to pieces all over again.

" _This_ is great," he said, indicating all the mad, crazy Italians with their old music and tomato paste.

I found myself grinning reluctantly. Once I might have been embarrassed at my Italian heritage - the loudness of it all. Now I wasn't, and I was kind of happy to let Jacob Coote see this side of me.

"I didn't use to think so, but I guess you're right. It's kind of fun."

"It's one of the many things that led to _you_ being you", he told me in a low voice, betraying yet again that he had an understanding of so many things that his rough exterior disguised.

"So – have you come to break my heart all over again?" I asked him brightly and he flinched, his eyes darkening in response to my words.

"I never wanted to hurt you, Josie," he told him, touching my cheek with his fingers, his voice husky and his eyes filled with an unreadable expression.

I could smell the clean scent of his body. It had been such a long time since we had held each other. I had craved his touch and wished he had been with me.

"Too late," I told him coldly, pulling away before he could see my eyes filling with tears and heading to the pot to stir the boiling tomato paste. 

Michael came up to me and tugged my hair.

"Are you ok, Obnoxious Creation of mine?" he asked me gently and I nodded, blinking back tears furiously.

"Should I show him the door?" Michael asked, indicating Jacob with his chin. "Or will you take care of him with a book - or that spoon filled with hot boiling tomato paste?" 

I shook my head.

"I still love him." I whispered brokenly and Michael stared at me, at a loss.

* * *

I sat under the trees near the library on campus, my books open beside me and my eyes staring out unseeingly at the horizon. Starting university had brought its own set of challenges – the unfamiliarity of campus, the huge classes, the loneliness of being without Jacob. I hadn't wanted to take this step into a new stage of my life without him, but he had taken that decision out of my hands. He had - quite simply - vanished from my life without a trace.

Straightening, I recognised a familiar arrogantly swaggeringly walk, the lift of a proud head and the broad strong shoulders of Jacob Coote. He was dressed in black jeans and a white t-shirt, but his hair was trimmed short although I recognised the ear ring gleaming in his left ear.

The girl beside him was very North Shore with her chambray shirt and biscuit coloured slacks and leather shoes. Then almost as if he knew I was watching, his eyes lifted and met mine and he was excusing himself from her and crossing the oval to come to my side.

I stared up at him incredulously.

"Josie!" he exclaimed, looking down at me happily, his dark green eyes filled with genuine pleasure.

"You _bastard_. Where have you _been_?" I demanded wrathfully.

He sat down next to me on the grass, his eyes not moving from my face in a way I found very distracting. It appeared that he had missed me as much as I had missed him. There had been nights when I had lain awake, aching for him, remembering the touch of his lips on mine, reliving the touch of his hands on my body and the look in his eyes when he was watching me. It was hard to believe that having him here before me wasn't a dream.

"I passed my HSC," he told me, his eyes glowing. "I spent all summer swatting away to improve my marks. I got into uni," he told me and a smile of joy broke over my face.

"I _told_ you!" I said and he laughed, a carefree note in his voice which made me laugh again.

"I'm doing law as well," he told me with a mischievous smile and my eyes widened and I threw my arms around his neck and his lips came down on mine and he pulled me down to the soft grass, his strong, young body covering mine as we kissed hungrily.

I revelled in the taste of him again, unable to believe that Jacob was back and that I was kissing him again and that I could smell his dear, familiar scent.

His lips traced across my cheek slowly, his eyes smiling down into mine as he kissed me again, his mouth opening and his tongue tangling with mine. I hadn't been able to forget the taste of him. There were nights when I had woken up, aching all over with missing him and wanting him ….

"I thought about you all summer, Josephine Alibrandi," he told her.

"Ditto, although I was swearing at you. You turn up for Tomato Day and then _vanish_ into the ether."

"I'm sorry," he said contritely, smoothing hair from my brow. "I went travelling for a month and then the rest of the time was working madly to try to improve my marks so that they would let me into law."

"And here you are," I murmured, sliding my hand beneath his shirt to touch his smooth, warm skin. He shuddered slightly, lowering his head to lie beside me and stare into my eyes.

We spoke for hours after that, both having no more classes that day. He was debating whether he would continue living in Redfern with his father or whether he would move to a place of his own near the campus. He was working as a mechanic to pay his HECS debts and he asked about mama and Michael.

"They're seeing each other again," told him happily. "They're so cute -– even when Nonna glares at Michael. Mama defends him."

"You've got great parents," Jacob said warmly, twining a strand of my hair around his finger.

"Come for dinner tonight to meet them again – they know I've been missing you."

"Sure your dad isn't going to be there with a shotgun?" he teased me, tugging my hair playfully.

* * *

The first year of law school flew like a dream. Law school was big enough that there were many classes that Jacob and I didn't share but we frequently studied together and hung out together at lunchtime with Anton, Sera, Lee and Anna.

Anton and Anna were still going strong and they were talking about moving in together so long as they could prevent her father from taking a shot gun to Anton. It seemed that shot gun references were always common when one came from a traditional background…problem was, it wasn't just a joking reference, too many of our fathers really did own rusty old shot-guns - licence for one be damned.

We studied, went out, saw movies, read books together, shopped together. Jacob still hung out with his "rough friends", but he had an uncanny talent to feel comfortable in any number of environments. He also had an ability to put people at ease when they were awkward. Perhaps it's because he knew what it was like to be on the outside.

When I hung out with Jacob and his friends, I didn't feel awkward and left out as I might once have done. There was something reassuring about our relationship, something quite stable and wonderful.

The lecturers loved Jacob. He was so irreverent and filled with life and so mouthy – yet clever and never malicious. It never ceased to amaze me that someone so tough and strong-looking could be so incredibly gentle and caring of his fellow beings.

"No more for you, Josie," I heard Jacob say as he pushed the cup of coffee I had just made aside.

"I _need_ it," I pleaded with him, staring down at the papers strewn across the desk somewhat wildly. I had gone to his place near campus that was where I went when I needed quiet time to study. 

"Too many coffees make Josie snappish," Jacob teased me, pulling me into his arms and rolling with me on the bed. 

"Jacob – I have to study," I protested half-heartedly as he nuzzled my neck. His mouth opened beneath mine and I kissed him hungrily, my hands sliding beneath his shirt. When my hand slid down inside the front of his jeans to touch him, he groaned with approval, arching against my hand and reaching down to show me how to fully touch him.

As always I was a fast learner and within seconds, he was choking at me to stop, torn between laughter and being horny.

He unbuttoned my blouse and unclasped my bra, one thing followed another........... The heavy petting sessions were getting quite difficult for us both and it was more due to Jacob's self-control and love for me that I was still technically a virgin rather than from my own self-control.

"We should stop," he muttered in a husky voice and I grinned, pushing a sweaty lock of hair from his face.

"Why?" I demanded and he stiffened and stared down at me.

"What do you mean _why_?" he demanded.

"I'm on the pill," I whispered to him and his green eyes widened in shock as he stared down at me.

"Since when?" he demanded.

"A month ago. I thought I should .........just in case. We wouldn't want to have a bambina or as my father calls it, an Obnoxious creation."

Jacob's eyes darkened as he kissed me again,"An Obnoxious creation just like you would be a joy, baby."

I was moved by his words and pulled him closer, kissing him again and pushing his shirt from his shoulders.

"Are you _sure_ about this?" he asked me, looking a little concerned and I laughed.

"Yes I'm sure. I _"sort of love"_ you, and you _"kinda love me"_ ," I teased him mockingly and he laughed as well, pulling my skirt off my body.

"I _completely_ love you, Josie – days without you are hell for me," he told me simply and his mouth worshipped my body in a way that made me tremble and shake.

Being naked in his arms was both terrifying and wonderful and his naked body was strong and beautiful to me as he took the time to relax me, kissing me, tickling me.

"Call me a fool for being cautious," he murmured. "But didn't you tell me before that you wanted to wait?" he asked me.

I loved him for his concern, rolling him onto his back and lying on top of his body, feeling him pressing up against my body.

"I wanted to wait until I was _ready_." I told him and he rolled me back onto my back, parting my thighs and kissing me, his hands moving over my body with loving hesitation. When he finally entered me, my eyes were wide and wondering, staring up into his.

He had perspiration on his upper lip and brow as he struggled to retain control and not to hurt me. I bit my lip, feeling a twinge of pain but as I arched up against him, he slid deep and while a gasp escaped my lips, the pain faded away. 

"It's ok, Jacob, it's _ok_ ," I whispered as my hands moved down to his bare hips and I arched up to meet his thrust, to take him deeper and deeper. The sounds of pleasure that mixed with his were mine and his eyes were dark with feeling as he whispered my name against my lips.

He slumped heavily on my body, the two of us trembling with reaction to what had just happened.

I licked the saltiness of his shoulder and he turned and smiled at me and we kissed, he was still inside me. 

"Lee told me it was no big deal," I told him, my eyes wide and wondering and he smiled,

"It can be. It has to be with the right person," he told me.

A spirit of mischief prompted me to say,"I guess I should sleep with a few other people to make sure you're the right person …"

His eyes darkened,"Don't you _dare_." he said through clenched teeth. 

I laughed and put my arms around him and kissed him exuberantly.

"There's no one for me but you, Jacob. There never has been ….." and I meant it, and for the first time, John's shadow didn't haunt me.

* * *

"Are you OK?" Jacob asked in concern as I moved gingerly.

"Fine," I said, aware of aches in places I hadn't even known existed. 

"We probably should have gone slower the first time," he said looking guilty and rubbing my bare arm tenderly with the same care and concern he had always shown me.

I stepped into his arms and he hugged me. "You mean four times isn't normal?" I teased.

"No." he told me severely. "And you shouldn't have done that in the shower," he told me and I laughed, tilting my head back to grin at him. I was wearing one of his old soccer jerseys, my legs bare.

"I bled on your bed, too," I said apologetically.

He touched my swollen mouth lip lightly, his long calloused fingers stroking the livid hickeys on my throat with a wry expression in his eyes. 

"Your parents are going to _kill_ me," he said with deep feeling.

"High collars," I told him.

He shook his head. "Josie my love, your dark, dark, unfathomable Italian eyes have a well-f*cked look in them."

"How romantic you are," I told him, irrationally turned on by his words nonetheless and pressing closer to him, smiling when he ignored his better judgment and started to kiss me again.

We lingered over the tea and after I dressed and got my books together, he drove me home. We stood out the front of mama's house kissing. Each time I tried to pull away from him to go inside, he would laugh and pull me back into his arms and we would kiss again, frantically and hungrily.

"Stay," he teased, kissing me again and I laughed.

"I have to go inside," I told him.

"What's the rush?" he demanded, nuzzling my throat and sliding his mouth over mine again.

I went into the house dreamy eyed and smiling and mama and Michael glared at me suspiciously.

* * *

"I think you might have to sedate her," Sera said judiciously, staring at me as I hyperventilated.

Jacob was sitting beside me, also staring at me but with more sympathy.

"Josie – it's just an exam. Calm down."

" _Just_ an exam. _Just_ an exam?????" I demanded in a high pitched voice. I hyperventilated some more but allowed Jacob to calm me down. 

Michael had spent most of the night with Jacob and I, tutoring us and had professed himself pleased with our knowledge but that didn't help.

Jacob reached out, took my cold hand in his. "Come on, it's time for the exam." he told me.

"I _hate_ end of year exams," I told him, feeling pale and wan.

"They're evil," he agreed, patting my hand and drawing me to my feet. He picked up my summaries and grinned at the others as he led me out the door to the exam hall.

Before we entered, he took me in his arms and kissed me, lovingly, lingeringly in a way that made my knees buckle and he smiled down at me,

"I love you. You'll be fine," he told me as we both entered the exam room.

During the exam, I would occasionally glance over at Jacob's face. He was working intently, calm and unruffled and I found that comforting and returned to my own scrawl.

"Pens down". I put my pen down and Jacob was smiling at me in the way that always made my heart turn over.

"Hey." he mouthed at me, winking at me mischievously and I found myself smiling despite myself.

We went back to his place after the exam and curled up in his bed with hot coffee and chocolate to relax. "You should rest," he said, stroking my cheek and touching the shadows beneath my eyes and I smiled, lying back on the pillow and looking up at him.

"You feel like resting?"

He put his coffee down and curled up beside me, his smile broadening as he pulled me into his arms. He was a very considerate lover, very affectionate and had taken a lot of time in teaching me what he liked, in discovering what I liked and my days of being a shy Catholic girl were well past me. 

My lips trailed kisses down his bare chest, going low and lower and he watched in interest.

There was nothing better than this, being loved by Jacob. His body loved and worshipped me even as he loved me with every glance, every word and every touch. My greatest fear was that he would not know how much I loved him, that my love matched his and perhaps even exceeded his.

Much later, he kissed my cheek. "We should live together, what do you think?" he asked me.

I considered it for a little while, liking the idea.

"It would be your chance to be a rebellious Italian girl," he teased me. 

"I'm already that," I mused, resting my cheek against his chest.

* * *

Living together brought its own set of challenges. Mama and Michael were violently opposed to the arrangement at first. I thought Nonna would go into cardiac arrest, I mean she likes Jacob – loves him probably because he's such a wonderful guy, but it was another thing to see us living together.

Mama and Michael eventually came around once the initial shock wore off. Jacob studied them with his steady green eyes, his words calm as he promised he would look after me and then I would hit him and tell him that I didn't need looking after and that I would be looking after him. These exchanges seemed to reassure my parents because a look of amused tolerance would cross their worried faces.

We moved into a small but cosy little unit in Newtown, not far from campus at all, with a little balcony that overlooked the main street, and sunlight peeped in happily through the kitchen window. I saved up money from my job at Michael's. Jacob's income far exceeded mine as mechanics seemed to make a killing compared to paralegals.

The place was a little unpromising at first but Jacob fixed the place up, repapering the walls, relaying the carpet and applying a fresh coat of paint. By the time he had finished, I could have sworn the place looked as new.

I spent my time buying pots and pans, dinner sets and linen, dragging Jacob around to markets and strange little knick-knack shops.

"I'm not sure about that one," Jacob said doubtfully, staring at the rather odd looking vase with its lopside neck and peculiar flowers.

"It's hand painted," the young woman with the four nose rings said with great dignity, her dread-locked blonde hair bouncing as she glared at us both.

Jacob put his arms around me from behind, linking his hands around my waist and resting his chin on the top of my head.

"Your call, Josie," he murmured against my cheek, kissing me affectionately in a way which made me wish that we were alone at home in our bed instead of in a crowded shop.

"I think I'll take that one instead," I said, indicating a rather beautifully glazed vase which was gracefully shaped and swirled.

"What next?" I asked and he glanced at his watch,

"I think we're supposed to stop by your grandma's house for afternoon tea," he told me and I grimaced.

"OK. I think she's still mad at me for not going to that elderly association dance with her."

"Selfish of you," he mocked me, making me hit him.

"I didn't notice you volunteering either!" I retorted.

We drove to Leichhardt in companionable silence and Jacob buttered Nonna up, eating all of the food she prepared and complimenting her so that she blushed and demurred. I shook my head in disbelief and Jacob winked at me roguishly although he caught Nonna in his arms and gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek which pleased her to no end.

He appeared genuinely fond of her. "Why are you so surprised? I don't have my own grandmother so you'll have to lend me yours," he told me with a grin.

I laughed and the two of us washed up as Nonna made coffee and sang along to the twee music emerging from her stereo.

We then took her shopping to the new Coles that's opened up on the street. Nonna was horrified when they first opened up the Coles, raving on about tradition. Then she discovered the range of fresh pastas and ingredients was quite phenomenal and ever since then has been an ardent fan of Coles.

After that, we all stopped a the gelateria and Jacob bought us gelato and Nonna shook her head in mock disapproval as Jacob shared mine, licking from my cone and sucking on my fingers somewhat erotically in public.

"Tastes better on you than on the cone," he whispered outrageously, his lips covering mine and I could taste cold ice cream on his mouth and tongue and couldn't help agreeing with him.

* * *

We're married now. We got married just after we both graduated from law school. Graduation was mind-blowing, we were so happy. The funny thing is, my life so is not how I had imagined it would be.... It's better. 

We have a lovely house in Leichhardt and a beautiful _bambino_ and an even more beautiful _bambina_. I'm working as a barrister in Michael's chambers. Jacob worked as a lawyer in a prominent law firm, achieved partnership and to the astonishment of everyone except me - resigned and opened up a garage.

Mama and Michael are living together in Michael's house in Balmain and are very happy.

They love playing with our kids and visit us often.

As I mentioned, it took Nonna a little while to come to terms with the fact that I was living with Jacob, but she came around in the end and loves Lucia and Jake as much as we do. When we got married, no one in the world could have been happier - except maybe Jacob and me. Jacob's dad was pretty stoked as well, I'll have to admit.

I'm sitting on our front lawn right now, watching my husband playing with our children, watching the way they run into his arms and the glow of happiness surrounding them as they all topple in a laughing heap on the grass. Yeah, Jacob's great with kids of course. Tender, patient - but not afraid to be strict when he thinks it's necessary. The kids both love him and they laugh that his Italian isn't as good as theirs. 

What bemuses me is that as the years have passed, we've become closer and closer to one another. It's almost as if all the trauma, heartache and uncertainty which took place in the beginning has meant that our relationship is stronger for it.

"Why are you looking so serious, cara?" Jacob asks in amusement, leaving the kids to run around the lawn to cross to my side.

I glance up and smile at him, the sun in my eyes. "I was thinking about how many names I've had, and how I finally know who I am."

I watch my husband crouch down beside me. He takes my hand in his and kisses my hand lingeringly. We chose our wedding bands together. It surprised me that Jacob would want to wear a ring as well, but he does - with great pride.

"Mrs Jacob Coote - who is madly adored by her besotted husband," he says with his mischievous smile. I smile, nod back at him, we kiss and I know that this is forever.


End file.
